Book Description

African immigrant women underutilize maternal healthcare compared to local populations in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that facilitated or hindered the use of health services for African immigrant women in Clarkston, Georgia. The study also assessed the health literacy of the participants to complement the results from the interviews. This research was conducted in two phases. Three African immigrant women responded to interviews in Phase 1 of the study that informed the interviews for Phase 2 of the study. Phase 2 of the study explored the maternal health experiences of African immigrant women regarding healthcare utilization using a mixed-method design. Fourteen African immigrant women responded to the interviews in Phase 2. The Newest Vital Sign survey was administered to the participants to assess health literacy. An adapted version of the Andersen healthcare utilization model was used to explain the way individual and contextual factors impact the use of health services. Eleven themes resulted from the interviews. The themes are; (1) community social structure, (2) community health beliefs, (3) health organization concerning the use of WIC, (4) social support at the individual level, (5) limited English proficiency, (6) need for better health education, (7) perception of care, (8) health financing, (9) long wait times and lack of transportation, (10) fear of medication and of obstetrical interventions and (11) impact of female genital mutilation. This study makes some important contributions to science and practice. First, resettlement communities for immigrants facilitate social support and the use of maternal health services. Second, health providers require training on the cultural norms of African immigrant women to address barriers to care. Third, African immigrant women required education and tailored care that addresses the fear of pain medication, obstetrical interventions, female genital mutilation and the need for family planning. Fourth, African immigrant women need education on health insurance and transportation for maternal healthcare. Finally, structures that will address limited English proficiency and low health literacy are required to facilitate the use of health services. Tailored interventions should address barriers to maternal healthcare utilization that African immigrant women face.